March 11, 2022

Truly Remarkable

Genesis 1:1-8

So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. God called the vault “sky.”

—  Genesis 1:7-8

A storm is a massive movement of water from gas to liquid, above to below, sky to earth. It is a key part of a natural cycle we depend on for daily living.

What must God have been thinking when he made something as wondrous as water? It is the only chemical that naturally exists in our atmosphere in all three phases—solid, ­liquid, and gas. Mountains of solid ice float. Water dissolves almost everything, and it stays cool even under a blazing sun. We live by water in all its forms.

Water also exists in vast quantities as vapor in the atmosphere. Scientists estimate that there are 3.3 quadrillion gallons of water in the atmosphere—enough to cover the entire surface of the Earth with one inch of rain, if condensed. And all of it is recycled 40 times each year, traveling the world in clouds and pouring into lakes and oceans.

Genesis testifies that God created these waters, above and below. The moisture on our tongues, the blood pulsing through us, the sweat that cools us—all these are the work of God.

Water for life, with seasonal rains and snows to keep the earth well-watered and its creatures supplied with food—let’s praise and thank God for all these good things in his wonderful creation.

Dear God, we praise you for your amazing creation. You are all-powerful and Lord over all. Thank you for your care for us in all seasons of life. Amen.

About the author — Jason Zuidema and David Rozeboom

Dr. Jason Zuidema is executive director of the North American Maritime Ministry Association (namma.org) and an elder in the Église réformée du Québec. David Rozeboom serves as chaplain at the Montreal Ministry to Seafarers of the Christian Reformed Church (ministrytoseafarers.org). The authors thank Kevin Walker, NAMMA director of programs, for editorial assistance.

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